Humanitarian issue 25

ISSUE 25 ‒­­­AUGUST 2014

LOCAL HEROES Meet five people whose everyday work makes an inspiring impact

BEYOND THE BOOK

The author of our Centenary history shares her personal Red Cross story

HIGH-TECH BATTLEFIELDS

How video games affect international humanitarian law

Red Cross turns 100 this August, so join in the celebration by hosting an event with friends, family or colleagues and raise funds to help people in need.

Register today!

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sms the word ‘bake’ to 0448 366 283

Proudly sponsored by:

B Humanitarian

The inside

Dear friends,

Throughout the year we have been proudly celebrating the Centenary of Red Cross in Australia and recognising the contribution that our supporters have made over generations. For 100 years, Red Cross has touched the lives of most Australians in some way. More than a million people are part of our story: volunteers, members, staff, blood donors, aid workers, financial donors and supporters right across Australia.

August is a big month for Red Cross. We look forward to connecting with local communities on 9 August, when we will be joining Bunnings stores around Australia to host a national BBQ Day. More than a fundraiser, this event is an opportunity for us to say thank you to the communities that are the heart of our organisation. We also hope it will be an opportunity to tell people more about the breadth of Red Cross services and invite them to join us in our next 100 years of helping vulnerable people. Read more about our collaboration with Bunnings on page 11.

On 13 August we celebrate our Founding Day with the release of The Power of Humanity, the official history of Australian Red Cross, written by Professor Melanie Oppenheimer. You can purchase the book from 12 August at centenaryshop.redcross.org.au. Melanie also shares her personal Red Cross story on page 10 of this magazine.

We recently marked NAIDOC Week, an annual celebration to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and peoples . During Reconciliation Week in May, we also reaffirmed our support for the ‘Recognise’ campaign, which advocates for an update to the Australian Constitution in order to overcome the historical exclusion of First Nations peoples and to remove discriminatory provisions. We are committed to ‘walking the talk’ at Red Cross through supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and also increasing their representation in our workforce. We are proud to have incredible staff members such as Lajia Brown-Tamwoy, who is featured on page 8.

In this issue we profile a number of ‘local heroes’ who have helped other people, including our valued volunteers without whom much of our work would not be possible. We recently launched the + Plus Effect campaign, which recognises and applauds the contribution volunteers make to their communities and Australia – read more about their impact on page 4.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Humanitarian and thank you for your support.

Michael Legge President Australian Red Cross

Contents The inside

1

News in brief

2

The value of volunteering

4

Joy in giving

5

To help yourself, you help others

6

Advocate for her people

8

A real lifesaver

9

A great Australian story

10

Connecting across the country

11

After the rain

12

Remote-controlled war

14

Building a future

15

Safer sports clubs

16

Companionship is the key

17

Robert Tickner CEO Australian Red Cross

This document may contain the names and/or images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples now deceased.

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News in brief

We recently welcomed Dr Phoebe Wynn-Pope as our new Director of IHL and Movement Relations. Phoebe is a founding director of the Humanitarian Advisory Group and has extensive experience of IHL and humanitarian emergencies both in the field and office. Phoebe brings 20 years of humanitarian aid expertise to Red Cross, with a particular focus on the responsibilities of the international community working in conflict zones and fragile states.

Last month we farewelled Dr Helen Durham, our former Director of International Law, Strategy, Planning and Research, who has accepted a prestigious four-year appointment at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Helen is the first female to be appointed as Director of International Law and Policy, as well as the first Australian to be appointed to the ICRC Directorate. Over almost 20 years of working in international humanitarian law (IHL) for the Red Cross movement, she has come to be recognised as a global expert.

Australian Red Cross/Rodney Dekker

IHL executive appointments

Left: Dr Phoebe Wynn-Pope is our new Director of IHL and Movement Relations.

Above: Dr Helen Durham has accepted a position at the ICRC.

Everyone should have a Will

iStockPhoto

Your Will is one of the most important documents you sign. It’s the only way to be certain that your money and belongings go to the people and charities you choose.

During our October Wills for Life campaign, we have arranged a special offer with selected solicitors to prepare a simple Will from $75. After providing for your loved ones, we would be honoured if you would consider leaving a gift in your Will to Red Cross. Every gift makes a difference and will continue to improve the lives of vulnerable people for generations to come.

For more information call 1800 811 700 or email bequests@redcross.org.au.

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Centenary merchandise For the past 100 years, Red Cross has been woven into the fabric of Australian life, touching the lives of most people in some way. One way to share in our Centenary celebration is to purchase items from our memorabilia collection, including commemorative coins, Australia Post stamps and a vintagethemed shopping bag, apron, T-shirt, tea towel and sticker.

The book The Power of Humanity, which tells the story of Australian Red Cross from 1914 to 2014, will also be added to the collection from 12 August.

Vintage T-shirts

All merchandise is available online at centenaryshop.redcross.org.au.

Australian Red Cross Stamps

Commemorative Silver and Bronze coins

The Power of Humanity book

Vintage Apron

Michael Silver

Red Cross Oration This year’s Red Cross Oration will be a special centenary presentation titled ‘A Century of War and Peace: Australian Red Cross and the Development of International Humanitarian Law’. The Oration is an annual event held by the University of Tasmania and Australian Red Cross which aims to advance public understanding of contemporary global issues.

We are pleased to announce this year’s speech will be presented by Professor Tim McCormack, Professor of Law at the University of Melbourne and Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Tasmania. Professor McCormack also serves as an adviser at the International Criminal Court, and has been involved in the trials of David Hicks and Slobodan Milosevic.

The Oration will be held in Burnie on 12 August, Launceston on 13 August and Hobart on 14 August.

Professor Tim McCormack

For more information, contact the University of Tasmania at UTAS.Events@utas.edu.au or (03) 6226 2521.

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Australian Red Cross/Rodney Dekker

In the following pages we pay tribute to five people who represent the thousands of Red Cross volunteers, donors, aid workers, young humanitarians and members who work tirelessly to make a lasting difference to the lives of people doing it tough.

They are our local heroes.

Volunteers at a Red Cross youth leadership forum.

The value of volunteering

By Katie Isaac

More than one in three Australians volunteer, and the plus effect they create in their communities is greater than you may expect.

Volunteers add value not only to the lives of the people they support, but to our society as a whole. They help build trust, relationships and connections within communities.

While volunteer contribution in Australia is valued at up to $200 billion a year, it is all the vital social benefits they add to society that make volunteers priceless. By sharing their information and skills and building bridges between people, they make communities stronger and more resilient.

Voluntary service is a fundamental principle of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. Since our creation 100 years ago, Australian Red Cross has supported volunteers to make a difference in their communities, and we plan to continue doing so for the next century too.

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Today we are supported by over 30,000 volunteers. They help us to serve 750,000 breakfasts to kids who might otherwise go without, make 1.7 million phone calls every year to help elderly and socially isolated Australians stay in their homes, provide emotional and practical support to people who have been evacuated from their homes because of a disaster, provide customer service in Red Cross shops around the country, and internationally our volunteers help people to achieve healthier, safer and more sustainable lives—the list goes on!

We are grateful for the generosity of all our volunteers.

To learn more about the + Plus Effect, our voluntary service campaign, visit redcross.org.au.

Joy in giving

May and Toni enjoy weekly conversations and walks in the garden.

By Susan Cullinan

Toni makes weekly visits to several residents of aged care homes, calls isolated people living alone and she’s made more than 460 blood and plasma donations to the Red Cross Blood Service.

“The word bored is not in my vocabulary. I always said that when I stopped working I’d try and do something in the community and do some voluntary work,” she says with masterful understatement.

Toni grew up in a Red Cross family. Her father was a blood donor, her mother drove for Red Cross delivering blood to country centres from Adelaide in the 1950s, and her granddaughter donates blood. Toni is an active member of Red Cross and other community groups.

Her first volunteer duties begin at 7am every morning, making a string of phone calls. She rings a list of isolated and elderly people who are living alone with a friendly check-in

that they are okay. If the calls go unanswered she rings the Red Cross Telecross office immediately so that the person’s safety and wellbeing can be verified.

Toni also makes weekly visits to two women living in aged care homes, including 90-year-old May Wilson. May’s seven children live all over the world and far from her aged care home in Perth, which is why she cherishes her visits from Toni. “I enjoy her visits very much. We talk and discuss things,” May says. “Sometimes Toni walks me around the garden which I do enjoy! We sit and chat, we talk about hairdos, clothes, our families and our children.”

Toni also finds enjoyment in her volunteer work. “I just hope that as a Red Cross volunteer you can bring a little bit of joy and pleasure to people who perhaps don’t have a lot of visitors,” she says. “I find volunteering very gratifying. There are a lot of lonely people in the community.”

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Australian Red Cross/Rebecca Mansell

By any measure, Red Cross volunteer Toni Russell had a full life when she was juggling nursing and sales work along with family life. But since she retired five years ago, she’s never been busier.

To help yourself you help others

By Anna Zelenko and Alyssa Robinson

When John Rimmington crawled out from underneath his flooddamaged home, he was upset, angry and dirty.

He had just finished surveying the damage when he heard a car approaching.

T

wo women emerged from the car. “I noticed the Red Cross sign on their shirt. I went over and one of them said, ‘it looks like you need a hug’. She gave me the biggest hug.”

“They pulled up in my driveway, seen this old fella crawling under his house full of mud… it was just a classic,” John says.

John, a 54-year-old Bundaberg resident, had just been through a tough few days. When he went outside on a late January morning in 2013 to see houses on his street being flooded, John sprang into action - helping neighbours move out of their houses, organising meals for over 30 people and inviting them to stay at his place. But John soon had to move out of his own house as it too met with the floodwaters. “It is the most heart-wrenching thing to leave your home,” he says.

The Red Cross volunteers who visited John directed him to a local recovery centre, one of 19 set up in Bundaberg to provide information and support to more than 37,000 people affected by the floods.

At the centre John met Dianne Buckles, a seasoned Red 6 Humanitarian

Cross volunteer. “Dianne didn’t know me from a bar of soap, but she’s been there to listen to my story,” John said back in 2013. “It’s been amazing. It gives me a sense that someone is there who genuinely does care.”

Dianne, a Red Cross member and volunteer since 1999, has provided support to many people during and after emergencies, including to those affected by the fires in Margaret River, Western Australia in November 2011.

During the fires, Dianne helped to register people who were evacuated, helping their loved ones to know they were safe.

After the fires, she also joined other Red Cross volunteers to knock on the doors of more than 700 households in the affected areas to ask one question: “How are you doing?”

“You’d ask that simple question and suddenly it all gushes out, particularly for people who are used to keeping it all inside,” Dianne says.

After the Bundaberg floods, John said he didn’t know where he’d be without Red Cross. “It’s not that you only need financial help, you need emotional help. Here’s me, very

independent and here’s me getting the support that I didn’t think I needed, but I do,” he said.

For many people, recovering after a disaster is a long, complex and emotional journey. Checking in with John nearly a year after the fires, he is positive about his recovery. While he had no insurance, John has worked hard to repair his home, and has been offering his skills as a carpenter to help his community rebuild. He always makes sure to lend an ear when a neighbour needs to get something off their chest.

“As emotional as I was, I took on board what Dianne said to

me in that recovery centre,” John says. “She said: ‘If you want to help yourself, you help others’.”

Dianne continues to volunteer and is currently the Chairman of the Australian Red Cross Board in Western Australia, where she will keep supporting people and their communities to become more resilient to disasters. “Without donor support, it would be very hard for Red Cross to provide the help we do,” she says. “If disaster strikes again, we’ll be there too.”

To donate to Red Cross disaster relief and recovery, visit redcross.org.au or call 1800 811 700.

Above: A successful businessman and leader in the community, John Rimmington never expected that he’d need help from Red Cross.

Left: Dianne Buckles has volunteered with Red Cross for 15 years and received a Distinguished Service Award in 2010.

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Australian Red Cross/Jack Tran

I noticed the Red Cross sign on their shirt. I went over and one of them said, ‘it looks like you need a hug’.”

Lajia Brown-Tamwoy, 21, is a Adnyamathanha and Torres Strait Islander woman.

Advocate for her people

By Kerry Klimm

Four years later, Lajia is our Human Resources Coordinator in South Australia and the youngest member of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership Team.

Lajia says it’s hard to believe how much she’s achieved.

“I started out doing admin and reception work, a lot of processing and filing. Now I’m providing strategic thinking and leadership to Red Cross on our work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia.

“I’m sitting alongside all these people that I admire and look up to, and they listen and are interested in what I have to say,” Lajia says with a chuckle.

Lajia was surprised to receive an invitation to be involved with the Leadership Team. “I wasn’t exactly sure what the role would involve and being just 20 years old [at the time], I didn’t know if I had much to contribute.” But team Co-Chair Rachael Schmerl says that Lajia’s membership is a valuable asset.

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“The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is relatively young, with the median age being 21 compared to 37 for the non-Indigenous population, so Lajia brings a perspective that no other member can,” Rachael says.

“The Leadership Team also want to invest more in our young people, who will be our future leaders. Lajia has shown great drive to be a voice for young people and displayed strong leadership.”

Lajia is now confident that she has a lot to bring to the table, both as a young person and a staff member. Working at Red Cross and being involved in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership Team has made her realise exactly what she wants to do.

“Early this year I did a human rights course and I have aspirations to work more in the human rights field and become an advocate for my people,” she says.

Australian Red Cross/Dan Carter

Like many 17-year-olds, Lajia Brown-Tamwoy wasn’t sure what she wanted to do when she finished school. She was working at a fast food chain when a traineeship became available at Red Cross in Adelaide.

A real

lifesaver

Australian Red Cross Blood Service

By Ruth Charters

Theo celebrates the 50th anniversary of his first blood donation with Midland Donor Centre staff.

A lot has changed in the 50 years since Theo Bekkers first donated blood.

When Theo made his first donation in 1964, blood was stored in little glass bottles. Whole blood was the only type of donation, with a shelf life of just 15 days, and most donated blood was used by surgical patients. One in 20 Australians were blood donors, but they had to retire from donating at age 65.

Soon after Theo’s first donation, the Red Cross Blood Service took a big step forward by introducing plasma-only donations.

Plasma has the advantage of being versatile in its uses, and it can be donated every fortnight, unlike whole blood which can only be taken every 12 weeks.

Theo decided to give plasma donation a go, and he can still recall the manual process in the early years. “Plasma donation was a two-arm donation. The nurse would take blood out of one arm, separate it in a different room, and then return my red cells into my other arm,” Theo says.

“This whole process was repeated about three times, and

took almost three hours to get a full donation. They used to give us a long stick to scratch our noses and turn the pages of a book, because you couldn’t move either arm."

Advances in technology along with increasing demand for donations have caused revolutionary changes to blood donation over the last half-century. Platelet-only donations have been introduced and the shelf life of whole blood has increased to 42 days. More uses for blood have been discovered, saving millions of lives worldwide, including those of cancer patients—the biggest group of blood recipients.

Unfortunately only one in 30 Australians now donates, making regular blood donors like Theo all the more important.

On the 50th anniversary of the first time he gave blood, Theo made his 540th donation. He has given enough to save 1620 lives—and as today’s donor retirement age is 81, he thankfully has more lifesaving donations left to make.

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A great Australian story

By Alyssa Robinson

Above: Dr Melanie Oppenheimer is a Professor of History at Flinders University.

Background: A group of Voluntary Aid Detachment members selected to join the medical team on HMS Glory in September 1945. Nancy Nivison is at the bottom right.

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When Melanie started wearing the overalls, she soon learned that they had been issued by Red Cross to her grandmother, Mrs Nancy Nivison. Nancy had been a member of a Voluntary Aid Detachment during the Second World War, and had worked aboard the naval carrier HMS Glory to pick up prisoners of war after the battles ended.

Inspired by her grandmother, Melanie went on to complete a PhD on volunteer work during the war, and for the past five years she has written the history of Australian Red Cross. Her book, The Power of Humanity, is released on 12 August.

The Australian Branch of the British Red Cross—what would eventually become Australian Red Cross—was one of the earliest examples of a nationwide organisation, founded in 1914 when the Federation of Australia was just 13 years old. “One of the things I think is really interesting about the history of Red Cross is that it really is a story of Australian social history,” Melanie says. “The changes in Red Cross, you can actually see that more broadly in Australia.” Melanie says these changes include rural areas’ growth in population and importance, and Australia’s change in focus from war relief to broader social welfare from the 1950s.

Melanie says that all groups of Australians play a part in the Red Cross story, from the leading roles of women and rural communities in our founding days, through to our partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

“People wherever they may be will be able to see themselves within the broader history [of Red Cross],” Melanie says. “They will be able to see where they fit in.”

Going forward, Melanie believes that climate change will place increasing importance on Red Cross work in emergency preparedness and relief, while our broader work in community wellbeing will remain vital. “[Red Cross] is at the cutting edge of social welfare programs, they always have been, and that will continue to be so,” she says.

Buy The Power of Humanity from 12 August for $59.95 ($39.95 for Red Cross people) at centenaryshop.redcross.org.au.

Supplied

Professor Melanie Oppenheimer has studied the history of Red Cross for the past 25 years, a career which she traces back to an old pair of overalls discovered in her family’s attic.

Bunnings

Connecting across the country

Join us on Saturday 9 August at your local Bunnings store.

Red Cross is teaming up with Bunnings to reach out to people across Australia for our 100th birthday celebration.

We are hosting a Centenary Fundraising BBQ Day at more than 200 Bunnings stores around the country on Saturday 9 August, to help raise the vital funds needed to continue our everyday work.

Today the need for Red Cross is greater than ever. Without generous public support, we simply cannot continue bringing comfort and relief to people in need, both at home and further afield.

Australian Red Cross CEO Robert Tickner welcomes the opportunity to fundraise at Bunnings stores in every state and territory as a terrific way to meet the Australian public and invite a new generation of people to support Red Cross.

“Red Cross is proud to team up with Bunnings to celebrate 100 years of people helping people and build community support for the years ahead,” Robert says.

Bunnings has earned a positive reputation for supporting causes and organisations that benefit communities, and we are delighted to have both a local and nationwide opportunity to connect with people in more than 200 Australian locations on the barbecue day.

In addition, on Friday 8 August an outdoor Red Cross showcase in capital cities will tempt passers-by with a barbecued breakfast and a hands-on look at the diverse ways Red Cross helps vulnerable people across several communities.

Every day we offer immediate and practical assistance that makes a world of difference to someone in need, from making a disaster preparedness plan or learning first aid, to making a daily phone call to an elderly person living alone to check they’re OK. With one million Red Cross members, volunteers, donors, staff, blood donors and supporters making such a positive contribution every day, there’s never been a better time to celebrate together—or to become involved with us for the first time.

Your support can help Red Cross change lives for the next 100 years.

To find out more visit redcross.org.au/BBQ or call 1800 652 635.

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After the rain

By Antony Balmain

In early April, Michael and Stella Okar watched from a hill as floodwaters ripped their home from its foundations and smashed it to pieces. Now they face the months of cleaning up ahead.

More than 20 people lost their lives and thousands were displaced by the Solomon Islands floods. One of the hardest-hit areas was the capital Honiara, where Michael and Stella’s home was located by the edge of a river.

“We eventually want to move away to higher ground,” Michael says. “It’s just too frightening for us now.

Our teenage son won’t live back here again.”

Recalling the terrifying day when the river rose, Michael says houses, trees and huge debris floated past.

“The river came up like a monster. Everything was gone in about 15 minutes,” he says. “This place was beautiful.

Now it just looks terrible.”

Australian Red Cross aid workers worked alongside Solomon Islands Red Cross to provide shelter, food and relief items like blankets and sleeping mats after the floods. One of the most important resources we have provided is clean water.

“Safe water is often the difference between life and death,” says Jimmy Baragamo, volunteer Water and Sanitation Team Leader at Solomon Islands Red Cross.

“Many communities must use dirty water which results in diarrhoea and skin rashes. A few days after providing safe water, these symptoms disappear.”

Red Cross provides safe water through a portable purification unit called the NOMAD, which we first supplied to Solomon Islands in 2009. These units can provide tens of thousands of litres of safe water both for drinking and hygiene purposes, making them vital for responding to disasters when access to clean water is compromised.

Clement Manuri, Deputy Secretary General of Solomon Islands Red Cross, remembers a past incident where the need for a device like the NOMAD became clear. “In 2002, 12 Humanitarian

Safe water is often the difference between life and death…many communities must use dirty water.”

Cyclone Zoe caused complete destruction to Tikopia, a very remote area near Vanuatu. All of the houses were destroyed and people were living in caves,” he says. “It took more than two weeks before any relief supplies could be brought in due to the extreme weather.”

In the time since then, Australian Red Cross has provided water purification units along with community hygiene training to Solomon Islands. When the floods hit earlier this year, the country was better prepared. “Before the NOMAD was sent by Australian Red Cross, there was no option for clean drinking water in disasters,” Clement says. “Now the people look to Red Cross to provide safe drinking water in disasters.”

After the floods, Michael and Stella had the small good fortune of finding some of their belongings buried two metres deep in mud. “We found our sewing machine, glasses, curtains and kitchen items, but everything else is destroyed,” Michael says. Now they, like thousands of others, must face the long rebuilding process.

Help us to continue providing lifesaving resources overseas by donating to our international work at redcross.org.au or calling 1800 811 700.

Right: Stella and Michael Okar received support from Red Cross when their home was destroyed by floods.

IFRC/Jane Ussher

It’s just too frightening for us now. Our teenage son won’t live back here again.”

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Remote-controlled

Bohemia Interactive

WAR

The ICRC and games developer Bohemia Interactive are calling on gamers to develop content highlighting the laws of war.

From virtual training tools to linking soldiers with machines, Red Cross is exploring the challenges and opportunities that new technologies raise for international humanitarian law (IHL).

Australian Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are working to highlight the potential legal, ethical and humanitarian impacts of new technologies. We have hosted public forums across the country, presenting a unique opportunity to engage with key IHL stakeholders including the ICRC and Australia’s defence force and legal community.

“As states develop new means or methods of warfare, it’s vital that they comply with international humanitarian law,” says Yvette Zegenhagen, Red Cross National Manager of IHL, Movement Relations and Advocacy. “These forums examining new technologies and the modern battlefield are an important part of this ongoing process.”

In Melbourne recently, panellists discussed some of the emerging issues for the laws of war that may have implications on the battlefield in coming years. These 14 Humanitarian

included the enhancement of soldiers through genetic modification, and the increasing ability of soldiers to interact with machines, whether by remote control or other methods.

A similar panel in Adelaide examined the growing use of virtual training tools in the military, and the opportunities that video games provide for IHL training and education.

Many video games already take into account how real-life military personnel are trained to behave in conflict situations.

Virtual rewards and punishments are a way to increase public awareness of what is acceptable and what is prohibited in war, creating a more realistic experience for gamers who may be required to face the same dilemmas as real soldiers.

“When battlefield scenarios are portrayed in video games, the rules of armed conflict should be applied within the context of the game, so that people understand what would happen in a real war,” Yvette says.

Building a future

By Antony Balmain

Australian Red Cross/Kathleen Walsh

Seventy-year-old Maria does not shrink from a hard day’s work.

After Typhoon Haiyan tore off her roof last November, she rebuilt it herself.

Maria* is the breadwinner for her household and also cares for her adult daughter, who has an intellectual disability. Her home is among 1.4 million houses damaged or destroyed after the typhoon in the Philippines. Maria has now fitted a corrugated iron roof for the first time ever, and according to Red Cross aid worker Kathleen Walsh, many people are making the same decision.

“Women seemed to prefer corrugated iron roofing, while more men seemed to be in favour of the traditional thatched roofing,” Kathleen says. “Corrugated iron doesn’t need replacing as frequently. If you are poor, your thatched roofing is going to be very thin and fragile.”

Part of Kathleen’s job as a gender advisor is to take note of these preferences, ensuring that aid agencies use informed approaches on gender and disability while providing shelter as quickly and effectively as possible. This is a key element of Red Cross’ international duties. “In all major disasters anywhere in the world, Red Cross has the responsibility for coordinating aid agencies to best meet the shelter needs of those who need a home,” Kathleen says.

Women face unique challenges during and after disasters.

According to UN Women, women and girls are among the most affected during disasters as they put their families’ safety above their own. World Bank research adds that some women perceive emergency shelters as insecure places with inadequate privacy – a factor which highlights the importance of considering gender while addressing shelter needs.

Kathleen developed a tool used by a number of agencies to prioritise how shelter materials were distributed after the typhoon—meaning that women like Maria received aid more quickly. Kathleen was one of 36 Australian Red Cross aid workers sent to the Philippines to help treat the injured, organise shelter and support people through their emotional and economic recovery.

To learn more about how aid workers help, visit redcross.org.au. * Maria’s name has been changed to protect the safety and wellbeing of her family.

Maria earns eight dollars per week washing clothes for two families.

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By Rebecca Buonsanto

Amanda Lindsay (Australian Red Cross), Mike Pawley OAM (Manly Cricket Club) and Melinda Gainsford-Taylor (Project Defib Ambassador) launch Project Defib at Manly Cricket Club.

Each year 33,000 Australians suffer from sudden cardiac arrest, of which only five per cent survive. This alarming statistic drove Red Cross to partner with local sporting clubs to improve the health and wellbeing of communities across Australia.

Time is of the essence for people struck by a heart attack, as the chance of survival falls by about 10 per cent for each minute they remain in cardiac arrest. A person has the best chance of survival when both cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation are quickly applied. For this to be possible a bystander must know how to apply CPR, and they must have access to a defibrillator – an instrument which delivers a targeted electric shock to the heart, re-establishing normal rhythms in 97 per cent of cases.

Through the Project Defib program, Red Cross offers all Australian sporting associations access to a $1,600 subsidy on defibrillator packages, including ongoing support and training.

Since ambassador and former Olympian Melinda GainsfordTaylor joined us to launch the program in October 2012, more than 200 not-for-profit sports clubs have signed up.

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Manly Cricket Club was motivated to join after an on-field incident where one of their players passed out due to a heart condition. Thankfully the player survived, and the ‘defib’ and training provided by Red Cross mean that the club will be prepared for incidents in the future.

The South Australia Community Football League has also partnered with us. “We see Project Defib as an ideal opportunity to help football and other sporting clubs to take a proactive role in the health of their members,” says Glen Rosser, Community Football Consultant. “Unfortunately heart attacks do happen and our aim is to make sure that football clubs are well prepared with the right training and equipment.”

Clubs of any code can find out more and register their interest by visiting projectdefib.com.au or calling 1300 367 428.

Ian Bird Photography

Safer sports clubs

Companionship With the baby boomer generation nearing retirement, a recent Red Cross public opinion poll shows that they consider companionship in older age to be a major priority.

A third of people over 55 said having a regular visitor when they are older would be more important to them than extra assistance from the government or living in a retirement community.

The survey also found that baby boomers expect to live longer, are planning to live in their own homes and want to have a partner well into their 80s.

Red Cross provides a free morning phone call to thousands of elderly people in Australia every day to check on their wellbeing, as well as pairing trained volunteers with isolated older people to help them stay connected with their local communities.

“Our ability to maintain and grow services like these will be vital to ensure that the increasing number of older people living alone will not go unnoticed in an emergency, or lose contact with the community around them,” says Robert Tickner, Red Cross CEO. “All of these programs rely heavily on the generosity of people who donate to Red Cross.”

Help us to support older people now and into the future by giving a monthly donation at redcross.org.au or calling 1800 811 700.

Daily phone calls from Red Cross provide regular human contact and peace of mind for Maher, who has lived alone since his wife passed away.

Contact your local Red Cross office for more information National Office 155 Pelham Street, Carlton VIC 3053 T +61 3 9345 1800 F +61 3 9348 2513

NT Cnr Lambell Terrace and Schultz Street, Larrakeyah NT 0820 T 08 8924 3900 F 08 8924 3909

Supporter Services Centre T 1800 811 700 F 1800 855 240

QLD 49 Park Road, Milton QLD 4064 T 07 3367 7222 F 07 3367 7444

ACT Red Cross House 3 Dann Close Garran ACT 2605 T 02 6234 7600 F 02 6234 7650 NSW St Andrew’s House Level 4, 464 Kent Street Sydney NSW 2000 T 02 9229 4111 F 02 9229 4244

SA 212 Pirie Street, Adelaide SA 5000 T 08 8100 4500 F 08 8100 4501

Let us know what you think Send us your feedback to publications@redcross.org.au

TAS 40 Melville Street, Hobart TAS 7000 T 03 6235 6077 F 03 6231 1250

Managing editor Phil Brown

VIC 23-47 Villiers Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051 T 03 8327 7700 F 03 8327 7711

Designer Timothy Hartridge

WA 110 Goderich Street, East Perth WA 6004 T 08 9225 8888 F 08 9325 5112

Editor Alyssa Robinson

Cover image Toni Russell and May Wilson.

Australian Red Cross/ Rebecca Mansell

redcross.org.au Humanitarian 17

Australian Red Cross/Renae Droop

is the key By Bruce Wardley

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